As the Bull City has continued to grow over the years, it’s interesting to see how it expands, street by street. After the Rigsbee Street corridor blew up with the emergence of Fullsteam Brewery and Motorco Music Hall, businesses started opening up next door on Foster Street (Boxcar Bar and Arcade, Durham Food Hall) and have now moved over to Washington Street. The latest food and drink offering on Washington Street is the new Atomic Clock Brewing. Brought to you by the brother and sister team, Brian and Colleen Quinn, Atomic Clock opened up in early April in the same plaza as Plum restaurant. And so far, so good, here’s why you should make the effort to visit this cool new beer bar!
Atomic Clock Brewing in Durham – Location, Interior
What used to be a quiet little plaza on the corner of Washington and W. Corporation Street is now popping a bit! This low-slung, brick building features a tight parking lot up front but there should also be plenty of street parking in this neighborhood. In front of Atomic Clock brewing, you’ll find a raised sidewalk area, perfect for an impromptu patio and outdoors seating before heading inside.
Inside Atomic Clock Brewing, the interior is primarily bare-red brick walls and oak floors, giving the space a bit of a warehouse feel. A variety of taller communal tables are spread throughout the main room with the bar to the right along with the taps. Atomic Clock Brewing also has a large back room along with a sitting room to the right where you can lounge on a couch in a space filled with old-school wall clocks. The overall vibe and decor of Atomic Clock Brewing feels laid-back, modern, and comfortable to me! It’s a welcoming space with just enough color and design to keep things interesting but clean.
Atomic Clock Brewing in Durham – Menu, Food
Now when it comes to beer at Atomic Clock Brewing, they are off to a great start. They typically have 10 or so brews on tap across a variety of beer styles. IPAs, pilsners, ales, sours, and ambers, I haven’t seen a ton of dark beers here but it may be just a seasonal quirk since Atomic Clock Brewing opened in the spring time. What is nice is the glassware they use here. An ale I ordered was served up in a taller, cylindrical glass similar to a champagne flute and it was a pretty unique shape, nice touch. But overall, I’ve tried a variety of their beer styles and all have been quite good, beer aficionados should find something they enjoy on draft.
What’s great about Atomic Clock Brewing is that they are also serving up a small plates menu that can make for a snack or light meal! Most everything on their food menu is from $8 to $18 and includes empanadas, wings, fries, sandwiches, salads along with some options for sweets. The menu here leans a bit to the fried side which is fine by me when I’m drinking beer!
Start off with some garlic fries with black garlic aioli or maybe the fried pickles served with buttermilk ranch, perfect for sharing! The beef and cheddar empanadas are large and flaky, a good version. And the corn ribs feature slices off the cob and covered in a spicy chili rub. Atomic Clock Brewing is definitely trying out some new flavors and ideas with their food menu.
The pok pok wings (fish sauce glazed) are a play on a Thai restaurant out in Portland, Oregon! These whole wings are fried in a tempura-like batter and served up hot and crunchy out of the kitchen. The shrimp tostada is another great option featuring tender shrimp with red onion, cilantro, and dill crema over a crunchy tortilla shell. Atomic Clock also hosts special dinners every now and then that I’d love to try out!
Atomic Clock Brewing in Durham – Service, Conclusion
Given Atomic Clock Brewing is a newer offering, Durhamites are still finding out about it so the crowds have been pretty mellow during my visits. Service has been solid and the food comes out of the kitchen pretty quickly and whenever it’s ready. So excellent job there, Atomic Clock Brewing! And given the size of the place, there’s plenty of room to stretch out in for quiet conversation or you can hang around the central bar for a livelier experience.
Over the past few years, I’ll admit to having been disappointed by the new breweries in the Triangle. Visits to Asheville, Winston-Salem, and Charlotte left me believing that the beer scene had gotten a bit stale in my home grounds. But Atomic Clock Brewing does a nice job leveling up the brewery/beer bar game. It’s just not good enough to have some picnic tables in a warehouse and some dusty memorabilia on the walls anymore. With it’s refreshed interior, strong selection of beers, and interesting food menu, Atomic Clock Brewing is a new and welcome beer break for the Triangle brewing scene!
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